how to heat melamine enclosures?????

[Matt]

ok, i need to build some new enclosures and have been tossing and turning about how to heat them
how does everyone heat their melamine (or similar) enclosures?

options:
heat panels.....way to expensive (since I am building alot)
lights.....arboreal snakes can burn themselves, or do people like the hardwear cloth as a cage around them?
other options?

i want to get some ideas of what people use and what they prefer....pics are great, or just describe the setup...
thanks all

[asphyxia]

Matt

I use the Exo Terra heat wave, pluged into the reostat that i built from a post found here.. hmm i forgot whos at the moment any ways i am very pleased with my results some pice in the gallery

Brian

[jason h]

another option would be to order some heat tape from the states (bean farm i heard is a good source) you can buy it by the foot and its easy to wire up to a dimmer so you can ajust the temps.

[asphyxia]

Jason, Matt,

I was going to go down that road untill i learned that that heat tape was not CSA approved. which would mean that if a fire was caused by the tape, the insurance would not cover the losses so I decided to take the heat pad route.

Also, Jeff is selling some heat pads in the store at a reasionable costs.

Matt, I bet you could use 1 large heat pad to heat two cages 30x18x18

Brian

[Matt]

I have always used lights in the past, that way you get the heat and the light. im a little worried about using heat pads or panels because i like to see in the enclosures and that would mean i would have to light it another way

i would like the enclosures to be stakable without putting a light on top. Its just frusterating me a bit
thanks for the responses!

[jason h]

for lighting you can pic up at canadian tire has 18" floresance (made by globe) for 7.99 they work great and are cheaper to run than incandesents i use them mounted inside the enclosure they are covered and dont get hot enough to hurt your snake

[asphyxia]

"Great Minds Think alike"

[Matt]

sounds good, but dont the fixtures for the lights cost like $30-$40
jason, is that $7.99 for the bulb?
thx

[asphyxia]

24.95 @ homedepot for the one shown

[jason h]

nope the globe ones are the fixture and the bulb,you just gotta look for them cause they usually hide em way below or way above the 30-40 dollar ones (Im a bargon shopper)(can afford more snakes that way)!!!

[Matt]

sweet, thanks jason... not a bad price,
(i need like 8-10 enclosures), so its gonna get up there, but thats a really good price
thx guys
p.s your enclosure looks great brian

[asphyxia]

Thanks Matt, if you need them I have step-by-step pics
I can email ya

Good luck
Brian

[Matt]

ya, that'd be great thanks, always looking for new ideas
reptilescanada@hotmail.com

thanks!!

[asphyxia]

ok Matt there at work i will send tomorrow I
just sent some to NUNO aswell

[Matt]

thanks brian!